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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts (Income $75-$110k)

287 Ranked Colleges
25,169 Degrees Awarded
$15,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Making $75-$110k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 365,980 liberal arts students received their degree, making the major the 2nd most popular in the country.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 25,169 liberal arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking analyzed 287 colleges that offered a degree in liberal arts. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great liberal arts programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the liberal arts program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k

The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $75-$110k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts (Income $75-$110k)

#1

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, Massachusetts
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k. MIT is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It awarded 10 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

MIT also took the #1 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $14,381 for Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 98%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Liberal Arts at MIT

#2

The City College of New York

New York, New York

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend The City College of New York. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k. The City College of New York is located in New York, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 104 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for CCNY is $9,546 for bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about Liberal Arts at The City College of New York

#3

Baruch College

New York, New York

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Baruch College. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k. Baruch College is a public institution located in New York, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Baruch is $11,501 for Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Liberal Arts at Baruch

#4

Soka University of America

Aliso Viejo, California
Top 15% in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Soka University of America. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k. Soka University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Aliso Viejo, California. It awarded 93 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, Soka University is in the top on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $14,519 for bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Soka University.

The low student loan default rate of 1.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Liberal Arts at Soka University of America

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Los Angeles. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k. Cal State LA is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 180 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $9,576 for bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Cal State LA.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Liberal Arts at California State University - Los Angeles

#6

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#3 in overall quality

University of Chicago landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. University of Chicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 12 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UChicago, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $17,929 for bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of Chicago.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 0.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Liberal Arts at UChicago

#7

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, Maryland
#8 in overall quality

Johns Hopkins University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k list. Baltimore, Maryland is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to 2 students in 2019-2020.

Johns Hopkins not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Johns Hopkins is $19,177 for Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $75-$110k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Liberal Arts at Johns Hopkins University

Top 20% in overall quality

University of South Florida - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #8. This large school is located in Tampa, Florida, and it awarded 242 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, USF Tampa also did well on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for USF Tampa is $14,214 for bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Liberal Arts at University of South Florida - Main Campus

#6 in overall quality

The University of Texas at Austin ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k list. The University of Texas at Austin is located in Austin, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 143 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $75-$110k list, UT Austin has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UT Austin is $20,454 for Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Read more about Liberal Arts at The University of Texas at Austin

Florida International University landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. This large school is located in Miami, Florida, and it awarded 368 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for FIU is $13,821 for Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $75-$110k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read more about Liberal Arts at FIU

California State University - Stanislaus came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Stan State is located in Turlock, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 235 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Stan State is $12,381 for Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Full California State University - Stanislaus Liberal Arts Report

#12

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana
#11 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, University of Notre Dame did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of Notre Dame is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Notre Dame, Indiana. It awarded 47 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Notre Dame did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Notre Dame is $24,392 for Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Liberal Arts at University of Notre Dame

#13

Wesleyan University

Middletown, Connecticut
#18 in overall quality

Wesleyan University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Wesleyan U is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Middletown, Connecticut. It awarded 9 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Wesleyan U also made our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #18. The estimated yearly cost for Wesleyan U is $19,821 for bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Liberal Arts at Wesleyan University

#14

Northern Kentucky University

Highland Heights, Kentucky

Northern Kentucky University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k list. NKU is located in Highland Heights, Kentucky and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 92 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend NKU is $12,301 for bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $75-$110k.

Full NKU Liberal Arts Report

#15

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

Green Bay, Wisconsin
Top 15% in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k list. This medium-sized school is located in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and it awarded 97 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UW - Green Bay also did well on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend UW - Green Bay is $16,604 for Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read full report on Liberal Arts at University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

#16

Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts
#9 in overall quality

Harvard University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k list. Cambridge, Massachusetts is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to 4 students in 2019-2020.

Harvard not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $15,553 for Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Harvard.

The low student loan default rate of 1.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Liberal Arts at Harvard University

With a ranking of #17, California State University - Fresno did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k list. This large school is located in Fresno, California, and it awarded 485 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Fresno State is $11,819 for bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Liberal Arts at California State University - Fresno

With a ranking of #18, California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k list. Carson, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to 129 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills is $10,904 for bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Liberal Arts at California State University - Dominguez Hills

#19

St. Francis College

Brooklyn Heights, New York
Top 20% in overall quality

St. Francis College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #19. St. Francis College is located in Brooklyn Heights, New York and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 31 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.

SFC excels when it comes to liberal studies quality. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for SFC is $19,235 for bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read full report on Liberal Arts at SFC

California State University - Northridge came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. California State University - Northridge is a large public school situated in Northridge, California. It awarded 320 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Northridge is $15,346 for Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $75-$110k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Liberal Arts at California State University - Northridge

#21

North Carolina State University

Raleigh, North Carolina
#16 in overall quality

North Carolina State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #21. NC State is a public institution located in Raleigh, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at NC State, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for North Carolina State University is $19,541 for bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $75-$110k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full NC State Liberal Arts Report

Eastern New Mexico University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #22. Eastern New Mexico University - Main Campus is a medium-sized public school situated in Portales, New Mexico. It awarded 71 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for ENMU - Main Campus is $13,703 for Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $75-$110k.

Full Eastern New Mexico University - Main Campus Liberal Arts Report

Top 25% in overall quality

Fort Hays State University landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. FHSU is a public institution located in Hays, Kansas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 249 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,807 for Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Fort Hays State University.

Read more about Liberal Arts at FHSU

#24

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan
Top 25% in overall quality

Oakland University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #24. Located in Rochester Hills, Michigan, this fairly large public school awarded 10 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s liberal studies students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $15,424 for bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Oakland.

Read full report on Liberal Arts at Oakland University

#25

Alcorn State University

Alcorn State, Mississippi

Alcorn State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #25. Located in Alcorn State, Mississippi, this small public school handed out 62 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s liberal studies students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $17,269 for bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Alcorn State University.

Read more about Liberal Arts at Alcorn State

Rest of the Best 44 in Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k

Not only did these schools make the top 44 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

#27

West Virginia University

Morgantown, West Virginia
#30

College of Staten Island CUNY

Staten Island, New York
#31

Middle Tennessee State University

Murfreesboro, Tennessee
#31

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California
#33

McNeese State University

Lake Charles, Louisiana
#34

Fayetteville State University

Fayetteville, North Carolina
#35

University of Wisconsin - Platteville

Platteville, Wisconsin
#36

University of Illinois at Springfield

Springfield, Illinois
#37

Governors State University

University Park, Illinois
#39

Murray State University

Murray, Kentucky
#42

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois
#44

St. Joseph's College - New York

Brooklyn, New York

Notes and References

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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